adjective
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suffering from fever, esp a slight fever
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in a state of restless excitement
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of, relating to, caused by, or causing fever
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of feverish
First recorded in 1350–1400, feverish is from the Middle English word feverisch. See fever, -ish 1
Explanation
If you're feverish, your body temperature is higher than normal, usually because you're sick. Getting the flu makes most people feverish. Feeling feverish is sometimes the first sign that you're coming down with an illness. Feverish symptoms include aches and chills. Another way to be feverish is to be full of excitement or turmoil. A room full of wound-up kids at a birthday party often crackles with their feverish energy. In the 14th century, something feverish caused a fever — it wasn't until the 17th century that the word gained its current meanings.
Vocabulary lists containing feverish
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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The Suffix -ish, Part 3
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Kira-Kira
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bouncy freestyle rhythm in “Soho” melts into feverish pop harmonies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The most feverish shows are built around “breaks,” where a person buys an opportunity to win an unknown, potentially valuable, collectible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
That’s more than 3% of the country’s adult population, illustrating the feverish extent of stock market speculation and the danger of leverage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Eight months later, and as Scotland prepare to face Haiti in the early hours of Sunday, feverish anticipation appears to be taking hold.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Propped up in a Cincinnati hotel bed, a hacking, feverish Calvin Brown made a sudden marriage proposal to his “dear sister” Leah.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
